Gordon Ramsay's Great British Pub Food (11 page)

300g split green peas, soaked overnight in cold water

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

black pepper

small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped

This is a fantastic recipe for a crowd – simply poach another ham hock in the stock, using the same amount of flavouring vegetables, and double the pease pudding. The whole dish can be cooked in advance but you’ll need to plan ahead as both the ham hock and split peas require overnight soaking.

Rinse and drain the ham hock, then put it into a large pan. Cut the leeks, celery and carrot into 5cm lengths and add to the pan with the onion, garlic, herbs and peppercorns. Pour in enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, then skim off any scum from the surface. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 2–3 hours, until the meat is tender and comes away from the bone easily.

Remove the ham hock from the poaching liquor and set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, flake the meat into large pieces, discarding the skin and bones. Measure out 600ml of the stock for the peas (save the rest – you can use it to make London particular, see page 69).

For the pease pudding, drain the split peas and put them into a saucepan with the chopped onion. Pour in the poaching stock and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 21/2–3 hours until the peas are soft and the liquid has mostly been absorbed. Add the butter and Worcestershire sauce and season well with black pepper. For a smoother result, use a hand-held stick blender to work the peas to a coarse-textured purée.

When ready to serve, warm the ham pieces gently if necessary in a little of the reserved stock. Serve the pease pudding piping hot in warm bowls with the flaked ham hock pieces on top. Add a sprinkling of chopped parsley to finish.

1 rabbit, about 1.2kg, jointed

2 tbsp plain flour

sea salt and black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

20g butter

2 onions, peeled and chopped

2 bay leaves few thyme sprigs

500g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks

500ml perry (pear cider), or apple cider

about 500ml water

60g pitted prunes, chopped

400g tin butter or haricot beans, drained

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

This is a particularly good dish for anyone who has never tried rabbit before. With this in mind, we’ve used farmed rabbit for a milder flavour, but of course you may prefer the richer, gamier taste of wild rabbit. The latter will take longer to cook, as the animals get more exercise and their meat is slower to tenderize. Get your butcher to prepare and joint the rabbit for you. Grainy mustard mash (see page 156) is the ideal accompaniment for this dish.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Heat a large flameproof casserole until hot. Meanwhile, coat the rabbit pieces in the flour seasoned with salt and pepper, saving any excess. Add the olive oil to the casserole and fry the rabbit pieces, in batches if necessary, for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown all over. Remove the browned pieces to a plate and set aside.

Add the butter to the casserole. When melted, add the onions with some seasoning and sauté over a high heat for 5–6 minutes until they start to colour. Tip in any remaining seasoned flour and cook, stirring, for another couple of minutes. Add the bay leaves, thyme, parsnips and a little more seasoning. Return the rabbit to the casserole and pour in the perry and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer, put the lid on and then carefully transfer to the oven.

Cook for 40 minutes, then take out the casserole and stir in the prunes, butter beans and mustard. Return to the oven for another 25–30 minutes until the rabbit is tender. If the sauce seems too thin, lift out the rabbit pieces and boil the sauce vigorously until reduced and thickened to a light coating consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.

1.2kg boned and rolled leg of mutton

2 bay leaves

few thyme sprigs

1 tsp black peppercorns sea salt

2 large leeks, trimmed

2–3 large carrots, peeled

1 large swede, about 400–450g, peeled

2 medium turnips, about 400–450g, peeled

45g butter

3 tbsp plain flour

300ml warm milk

5–6 tbsp capers, rinsed

small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped

sea salt and black pepper

Boiled leg of lamb is a classic dish, but we prefer to use mutton as it has a deeper flavour that is well retained during long, slow cooking. Boiling, of course, is something of a misnomer, as the cooking liquor should barely simmer, to ensure that the meat is meltingly tender. You may have to order the mutton in advance from your butcher. Failing that, you could use a boned and rolled leg of lamb.

Put the mutton into a large cooking pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Skim off the froth and scum from the surface of the liquid. Add the herbs, peppercorns and a generous pinch of salt, then simmer for 21/2–3 hours until the meat is just tender.

In the meantime, cut the vegetables into small chunks. Add them to the cooking pot and return to a simmer. Cook gently for a further 40–50 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.

To make the sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Take the pan off the heat and slowly stir in the milk, keeping the sauce smooth. Add a few ladlefuls of stock from the mutton, about 300ml, stirring well. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened to a light coating consistency. Add the capers and parsley and season well to taste.

When ready, lift the mutton out of the stock onto a warm platter. Cover loosely with foil and leave to rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes. Carve into thin slices and serve with the vegetables and caper sauce. The mutton stock and any leftover meat and vegetables can be used to make a lovely soup.

8 good-quality pork sausages, such as Gloucester Old Spot

11/2 tbsp olive oil

1kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled

150ml double cream

75ml milk

75g butter, diced

21/2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

sea salt and black pepper

2 large red peppers, trimmed, deseeded and finely sliced

11/2 tbsp olive oil

few thyme sprigs

little splash of red wine vinegar, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

pinch of caster sugar (optional)

Most of the sausages we serve in the pubs are made from free-range Old Spot pork. One of the oldest pedigree pig breeds, Old Spot has a superlative flavour, often attributed to diet. The pigs graze greedily on fallen apples around the orchards in Gloucestershire, earning them the moniker, ‘pigs with inbuilt apple sauce’.

For the mash, cut the potatoes into even chunks. Add to a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 15–20 minutes until tender.

Meanwhile, cook the sausages. Heat the olive oil in a wide, non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat, then fry the sausages gently for 15–20 minutes until cooked, turning frequently to ensure that they brown evenly. (Don’t pierce the skins or you’ll lose some of the juices.)

While the sausages are cooking, sauté the peppers. Heat another frying pan until hot, then add the olive oil, thyme, red peppers and some seasoning. Toss the peppers frequently for 4–5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the wine vinegar, toss well and cook until the pan is quite dry. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a pinch of sugar, if necessary, though the peppers should be sweet enough.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain them well and return to the pan to dry out for a minute or two. Pass through a potato ricer back into the pan or mash well. Warm the cream, milk and butter in a pan over a low heat until the butter has melted, then take off the heat and slowly stir into the mashed potato. Stir in the mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve two sausages per person on a pile of grainy mash with the sweet and sour peppers on the side.

1.4kg pork cheeks, skin removed

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

2–3 knobs of butter

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

2 celery sticks, trimmed and chopped

1 tbsp tomato purée

175ml clear honey

1 tsp cloves

1 star anise

few thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

750ml boiling chicken stock (see page 243)

650g swede, peeled and chopped

40g butter

freshly grated nutmeg

This lovely dish of meltingly tender pork cheeks coated in a rich, sweet gravy is inexpensive, yet smart enough for a dinner party. It is delicious with buttery swede, or ‘bashed neeps’, and creamy mash. You may need to order the pork from your butcher in advance.

Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas 2. Trim away any large pieces of fat from the pork cheeks and cut each cheek into two or three smaller pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan until hot. Season the pork cheeks all over with salt and pepper and fry for about 2 minutes on each side. Add a knob of butter to finish off the browning. Transfer to a plate.

Add the onion, carrot and celery to the frying pan and fry for 6–8 minutes until softened and caramelized to a rich golden brown colour. Stir in the tomato purée and fry for a further minute. Add the honey, cloves and star anise and increase the heat slightly. When bubbling, remove from the heat and tip the contents into a casserole dish.

Add the browned pork cheeks with any juices, the herbs, and the hot stock to cover. Cover the casserole and place in the oven. Braise for 2–21/2 hours until the meat is very tender and starting to fall apart.

Half an hour before the pork will be ready, prepare the bashed neeps. Add the swede to a pan of salted water, bring to the boil and cook for 25–30 minutes until tender. Drain well, then mash and beat in the butter. Season well with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Keep warm.

When ready, remove the pork cheeks from the casserole with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a pan, pushing down on the vegetables to extract all the juices. Boil vigorously until reduced by about two-thirds and thickened to a syrupy consistency. Check the seasoning. Return the pork cheeks to the sauce to reheat. Serve on warm plates, with the bashed neeps.

1kg venison shoulder

½ tsp juniper berries, lightly crushed

1 tsp black peppercorns

few thyme sprigs

few rosemary sprigs

1 bay leaf

300ml red wine

300ml port

2 tbsp plain flour

sea salt and black pepper

2–3 tbsp olive oil

200g piece of smoked streaky bacon, derinded

2 onions, peeled and finely chopped

600ml beef or veal stock (see page 244)

250g small chestnut or button mushrooms, halved

flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly torn, to finish

Venison is a fantastic lean meat that can easily dry out during cooking. Although it is not absolutely essential, marinating the venison in port, wine and spices certainly helps to keep it moist, while imparting a dark, rich colour and extra flavour to the meat.

Cut the venison into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl with the juniper berries, peppercorns and herbs. Pour over the red wine and port, then cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.

The next day, lift the venison out of the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper; reserve the marinade. Season the flour with salt and pepper, then use to coat the venison pieces. Heat a large flameproof casserole and add a thin layer of olive oil. When hot, fry the venison in several batches, for 2 minutes on each side until browned all over. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Cut the bacon into chunks. Add a little more oil to the casserole and fry the bacon for 3–4 minutes until golden brown. Add the onions with some seasoning and stir well. Fry for another 4–6 minutes until the onions are lightly golden and beginning to soften. Pour in the marinade, including the herbs, peppercorns and juniper berries, and bring to the boil. Boil until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds.

Return the venison to the casserole and pour in the stock to cover. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Partially cover with the lid and cook the stew gently at a bare simmer for 11/2–2 hours until the venison is just tender.

Add the mushrooms to the stew. Season well and simmer for a further 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and the sauce has thickened. Spoon into warm bowls, scatter over the parsley and serve.

1kg best end of lamb

3 tbsp plain flour

sea salt and black pepper

3 lamb’s kidneys (optional)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

700ml lamb stock (see page 245)

few thyme sprigs, leaves stripped

1 or 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves only, finely chopped

700g floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edward, peeled and thinly sliced

30g butter, melted

During the industrial times, long working days for men and women left little time to devote to cooking. Meat, vegetables and potatoes were often piled into pots and left to cook all day in a low oven. A welcome return after a hard day’s work, this hotpot soon became a staple in Lancashire.